


keep in touch

by bapaldeul



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Actor!jihoon, Angst, Exes, M/M, Post Disbandment AU, inspired by that cc i got, set one year after disbandment, solo artist!daniel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 21:06:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16920381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bapaldeul/pseuds/bapaldeul
Summary: “If you knew we were never going to last - why did you even stay?”a nielwink post-disbandment au





	keep in touch

**Author's Note:**

> welp. @ anon from 2 days ago; you planted this idea into my head and this is what you get.
> 
> based on the cc: 2019 agenda: Actor Park Jihoon announcing and giving the trophy to best new artist Kang Daniel :")
> 
> written for nielwink month main week day 6: battleground

_2019_

 

Looking amongst the crowd of expectant faces and fervent fans waiting for Jihoon to call out the name on the card in his hands, he wonders if anyone really knows what he’s thinking about. He’s not thinking about how the winner can only be that someone, how much he hates himself for thinking that one person deserves it more than the others - no, he’s definitely not beating himself up internally for being so blatantly biased to the one person he’s always going to put above all.

 

_“And the winner for this year’s MAMA 2019 Best New Male Artist goes to…”_

 

Jihoon pauses, this is where he takes the card out of the envelope. Through the earpiece in his ear, Jihoon hears the director telling him to take his time, drag it out for just a few seconds more.

 

The ratings of the entire award show are probably skyrocking now, waiting for Jihoon to announce the winner.

 

Jihoon tries not to let it show on his face - happy or sad.

 

His breath hitches, but ever so slightly and he’s learnt to professionally conceal even that with a dazzling smile to the cameras.

 

_Of course._

 

Everyone’s eyes are on him.

  
For a moment, Jihoon remembers everything like it was yesterday. Instead of standing on the intimidating stage on his own, he was sitting down there; where all the singers and idols alike were trying their very best not to let their smile drop for even a moment. He remembers the suffocating feeling of having to suppress the exhaustion and clap along to every performance just in case a camera catches him. In the idol world, anything and everything will be used against you.

 

Of course, that is not the only reason why Jihoon had shifted and chose to focus more on acting.

 

“ _Now_ ,” the director commands in his ear.

 

Jihoon already knows - how the crowd will scream and cheer when he calls _his_ name. How 100 different articles will be released in the span of half an hour all praising the same man.

 

And Jihoon also knows _he_ deserves every second of fame _he_ gets.

 

“Congratulations - Kang Daniel!”

 

Even though he’s predicted it, he thinks he will never ever get used to the strong and passionate fanbase that only one man can hold. He knows the cameras are off him for just a split second, focusing on capturing the emotions of the winner, who is currently shooting a million dollar smile at his fans, and then the camera.

 

Jihoon waits, with the trophy in his hand.

 

Their eyes finally meet from a distance away.

 

Jihoon remembers everything. It’s not easy to forget - when it’s all that keeps you up at night.

 

The secretive touches underneath the table at a fansign, the stolen kisses backstage, and their first time in the dorms that one night, when all the members had left for dinner one night, leaving two very lovesick young boys alone in the dorm alone.

 

Everything. From how Daniel had taught him how to love, to when Jihoon had learnt how much loving someone could hurt.

 

“Congratulations,” Jihoon says, and it comes out almost desperate and frightened, like he means to say something else but he can’t because of the million pairs of eyes on them.

 

He passes Daniel the trophy and when their fingers brush against each other for a second, Jihoon is absolutely sure that _nothing_ will ever compare to him.

 

“Thank you, Jihoon.”

 

They exchange bow and a small smile out of respect, and while Jihoon thinks about saying what’s really on his mind, he rests assured that Daniel knows what he really means to say. After all, Daniel’s always known.

 

Jihoon knows their gazes linger just too long on each other, and he breaks their eye contact first, allowing Daniel to take over the mic and express his thanks in his acceptance speech.

 

In that moment, Jihoon zones out. Everything from then on is white noise. All he’s looking at is the back of the person he loves wrapping his arms around. Oh- wait. _Loved_ , now. He sees the fashlights shining on _him_ , and feels the ache in his own chest slowly subside.

 

He knows, better than anyone, that no one deserves this award more than Kang Daniel himself.

 

⏩

 

When Minhyun motions for him to sit beside him and his group members, Jihoon hesitates. The director had told him he could sit with the rest of the hosts for the night at their own table apart from the idol groups, but Jihoon always gets the shivers around new people.

 

“Minhyun hyung,” he greets the other man with a big smile, then looks past his self-proclaimed favourite hyung back then to greet the NU’EST members who exchange friendly greetings with him too.

 

“It’s so great to see you again, how are you holding up?”

 

It’s great that they can get some chatter in before the next performance starts, and Jihoon knows that he does want to catch the next one.

 

“Fine,” he answers meekly under Minhyun’s intense stare. Even after a year, Jihoon still cannot get over how his legs turn to jelly when Minhyun so as much _smiles_ at him. He learns that it’s more admiration than anything else.

 

“Are you still eating well?” Minhyun asks another question.

 

Jihoon misses this too - not the nagging because Minhyun doesn’t nag. He misses being taken care of, being looked after by his group members. It makes him feel a lot less lonely in this big world.

 

“Always,” he promises Minhyun. “You’re doing so well, hyung.”

 

And it’s true. Just as the public had predicted, Minhyun’s return to his already up and rising original group had taken the entire country by a storm. Their comebacks earned them multiple all kills in music shows - it’s safe to say that Jihoon has tried his best to set aside time to monitor his members.

 

“And so are you,” Minhyun ruffles his hair, careful not to mess it up.

 

The lights dim and the fans start to scream again as the introduction for the next artist plays on the huge LED screen.

 

“You know,” Minhyun bends down a little to whisper into Jihoon’s ear.

 

“I’m glad it was _you_ , out of everyone, who announced _his_ name just now.”

 

⏩

 

For the first time in a long time, Jihoon feels normal. He feels like himself again. He thinks it’s the silence that he has difficulty getting used to but it just seems like everything in the world slows down when he’s surrounded by his members again.

 

His _ex-members_ , that is.

 

“LA was amazing,” Guanlin relays to him excitedly. “I showed Seonho all the places we went to with the hyungs before - remember that burger place where we ate ourselves silly and completely butchered our rehearsal after that?”

 

Jihoon smiles, “Yeah. Crazy. I was too full to even stand up.”

 

Even Guanlin’s going places. At the young age of eighteen, their ex-maknae is already the center of his new group - the group taking the world by a storm and one of the fastest groups to ever have a world tour after their debut.

 

“I miss the hyungs,” Guanlin says after the silence envelopes them.

 

It’s a comfortable silence, though. Jihoon doesn’t realise how much he’s missed this - the serenity of knowing that someone is in the same room as you, but you’re not talking, you’re just merely appreciating the presence and company of that same person.

 

“Me too, Guanlin,” Jihoon nods. “Me too.”

 

“I’m going to pay Woojin hyung and Daehwi hyung a visit in their waiting room,” Guanlin announces, standing up. “You want to come with?”

 

Woojin and Daehwi. It feels like forever since Jihoon has heard those two names when they were once rooming on the same floor - saw each other’s bed hair every morning, argued over who got to use the bathroom first, shared their deepest secrets one night.

 

Jihoon’s throat dries at the thought of seeing them again; with their new group, their new friends, their current members.

 

“Yeah, of course. I’ll be right with you. I just need to change out of this suit first.”

 

“M’kay hyung!” Guanlin calls out from the hallway, obviously not really listening to Jihoon anymore. That boy’s always been too excited to talk with the members - sometimes about the dumbest things. But Jihoon misses even that.

 

Looking at himself in the mirror, Jihoon knows he’s lonely.

 

Being a homebody and obvious introvert has nothing to do with this.

 

It’s been more than a year, but he still misses the feeling of being surrounded by his members and their insatiable need to yap at his ear even when they’re exhausted from schedules. There was never a dull moment with them.

 

Now, it’s just Jihoon and well… Jihoon.

 

Jihoon exchanges his suit for a plain white shirt, easing into the newfound comfort easily.

 

When the door unlocks behind him, he grumbles aloud, “Guanlin, I told you I’d be there in a second. Can’t you see I’m changing-”

 

“It’s not Guanlin.”

 

Jihoon’s heart almost comes up his throat when he hears that voice; and after he turns around to confirm the owner of that voice.

 

There is one thing that Jihoon misses above all.

 

 _Him_.

 

“Sorry, I should have knocked but I saw Guanlin coming out of your room a minute ago and assumed you would be okay.”

 

“It’s okay,” Jihoon shakes his head in defence. And after a few seconds of contemplation, he adds, “ _Hyung_.”

 

He’s still in his stage outfit. Still in that heavy idol makeup their stylists love to put on them. Somehow, Jihoon doesn’t fit into that spectrum anymore. No more fancy tight leather jeans, harnesses that make the fans go crazy everytime, or even those disaster filled oversized clothes they loved to put Jihoon in that made it hard for his dance moves to look nice on camera.

 

Daniel though, Daniel’s still the same.

 

He hasn’t removed his makeup so Jihoon can still see the heavy eyeliner that the makeup artists have put onto his face. His hair is still held up with gel in a way that makes Jihoon want to look anywhere but in _his_ face - because it’s all just _too much_.

 

“Congrats on that Male Rookie Actor award,” Daniel smiles, showing all his teeth at the same time his eyes transform into that famous 1mm line.

 

Jihoon blinks for a few moments before he remembers.

 

_Right. That happened as well._

 

He’s been feeding his head with all the script he’s had to memorize for tonight that he’s totally wiped off the memory of him receiving one of the most prestigious awards in the acting industry about a week ago.

 

Maybe the thought of seeing his members again has messed with his entire emotional system as well.

 

“And congrats to you, again,” Jihoon replies. “You know… for everything.”

 

One MAMA award isn’t all Daniel’s achieved this year. After they had gone their separate ways in December last year, all Daniel’s been doing is working, and then working even harder. In just a year, he’s landed himself three releases - one of them being a full album he had taken part in the production and lyric writing.

 

Don’t ask how Jihoon knows all this. He doesn’t want to think about it either.

 

It’s almost like nothing has changed about Kang Daniel. He’s still the same boy that people love for his pure heart and passion to always improve himself.

 

And Jihoon - it’s almost like his life had taken a complete 180 change.

 

“I watched your show, you know,” Daniel giggles, almost as if recalling the scenes Jihoon had appeared in.

 

 _But he’s too busy,_ Jihoon tells himself.

 

 _Don’t get your hopes up_ , he tries to convince himself.

 

“And that kiss scene,” Jihoon doesn’t miss the way Daniel’s eyes flicker and land for just a millisecond on his own lips; and he wonders if Daniel is thinking the same thing he is.

 

Instead, he brushes Daniel away, “Hyung, don’t be embarrassing.”

 

“But it was such a great show,” Daniel almost whines, _very befitting_ of the heavy eyeliner bad boy look that he’s got on how. “And of course, made better by having _my Jihoonie_ in there.”

 

_My Jihoonie._

 

Maybe he’d thought he could avoid this topic altogether but it’s very obvious he can’t - they can’t. Thank God they’re in the waiting room alone because God knows what anyone would do if they could hear Daniel.

 

Maybe they’d brush it off - Daniel’s always been affectionate with his members anyway.

 

_Ex-members._

 

_And ex-boyfriend._

 

This is why it’s so hard to get over Kang Daniel. Jihoon knows it’s just Daniel’s golden heart speaking for him; he’s always so painfully nice to everyone, even the one who had broken his heart.

 

“Hyung, no,” Jihoon says softly but sternly, almost as if he’s talking to a puppy who has his eyes set on a treat. Maybe it’s because Daniel’s always been a bit like that, a puppy who tries to please everyone even if it hurts himself instead.

 

Daniel’s face falls, and Jihoon thinks: fuck, I hurt his feelings _again_.

 

“You never reply in the group chat anymore,” Daniel says hesitantly, as if he’s afraid of the reason behind it.

 

Jihoon shrugs, “Well, I’m busy.”

 

“Too busy to say hi? Drop a message on how you’re doing - how _Max_ is doing? You know we all miss Max, and you.”

 

Jihoon knows, how Daniel really means “I” when he says “We”, because he feels the exact same way for Daniel, except he will never bring himself to talk in the groupchat that appears on his notifications from time to time.

 

Maybe it’s when Minhyun had met Sungwoon at a music show and they took a selfie together, or when Jisung had brought Jaehwan out for a BBQ dinner after his solo song had debuted at #1 on the charts.

 

Even when Daniel had sent a food truck to Seongwoo’s filming site three months back.

 

He had tried to send one down to Jihoon too, but he had rejected it almost immediately.

 

It hurts too much to remember.

 

“I’m sorry,” Jihoon says, because he doesn’t know what else he can say to make things better.

 

“No, don’t say sorry. Say you’ll talk to me,” Daniel pleads. “It’s been a year, Jihoon.”

 

But does Daniel even know how hard it is to be just friends with him? Even when all Jihoon remembers is how Daniel had whispered into Jihoon’s ear late at night while he was cuddling in Jihoon’s bed about how they would travel to a thousand cities together, and how they would get married under the stars and live happily ever after?

 

See - _just talking_ isn’t as easy as it was before. Not when Jihoon knows there are about an infinite number of promises that can’t be kept anymore.

 

“I’m talking to you now, aren’t I?”

 

“Not like this - not like I’m just another idol. Not like I’m just an ex-member of yours.”

 

Jihoon stiffens, “If you wanted me to treat you like an ex-boyfriend then trust me, we wouldn’t even be talking at all.”

 

“Finally, you said it,” Daniel says, with no sort of expression on his face anymore. It’s confusing because Daniel is supposed to be the easier one to read.

 

And Jihoon - he knows he’s showing all of his cards right now.

 

“Said what.”

 

“Ex-boyfriends,” Daniel replies with a smug look on his face. “You admitted it.”

 

Jihoon’s scrambling for words, he knows, “I mean- of course we were ex- You know what, this is stupid. Anyone could walk in right now and if they see us acting or talking like this, both our careers would be ruined in a second.”

 

Daniel looks like he really couldn’t care less right now.

 

“What do you think - about starting over.”

 

Jihoon’s heart drops into the pit of his stomach as his voice falters, “What?”

 

Daniel gently tucks his hand under Jihoon’s chin, slightly tipping it so that Jihoon is looking right up at him into his eyes.

 

“I’m not over you. So please, let’s start over.”

 

Even though Jihoon knows it’s wrong, and this is the exact reason they had broken up in December a year ago, he finds himself contemplating. He knows, better than anyone else, that he and Daniel are nothing less than _phenomenal_ together.

 

“Hyung,” Jihoon begs. “Please don’t do this, not right now.”

 

He’s begging Daniel to stop, because he knows he will never have the self control to stop himself. He’s a year older than he was before, but that doesn’t mean that he’s any less stupid than to allow himself to fall for Kang Daniel again.

 

“Is it really so hard to look at me?” Daniel asks.

 

_Yes, when everything about you reminds me of what I can’t have._

 

Jihoon should push Daniel away, tell him to stay as far away from Jihoon as he can.

 

But for Daniel, Jihoon thinks he always speak from his heart.

 

“I missed you.”

 

It’s just three words, but enough is said.

 

Daniel knows what Jihoon really means, “Me too, Jihoonie. I missed you so much. I thought about you everyday, and how it would be so much better if you were with me-”

 

“But hyung,” Jihoon gulps. “It’s not going to work out.”

 

There are too many “if”s rather than “when”s in this relationship, even in the past. Jihoon doesn’t like the unknown; he’d much rather go for something that is absolutely certain. He knows that Daniel can give him what he wants - but what he needs isn’t a Bonnie and Clyde love.

 

It can’t be them against the world - not if the world will win everytime.

 

“You don’t trust me,” Daniel smiles sadly. “You never did.”

 

“I don’t trust how people will look at us.”

 

“You care too much about how others look at you when all that should really matter is how I look at you,” Daniel replies, without even missing a beat as if he’d known that this argument would surface again.

 

It’s been a year, but nothing has changed.

 

Daniel wants to push them a step forward, but Jihoon wants to retreat with every step Daniel takes.

 

Jihoon’s terrified and Daniel is impulsive.

 

Daniel looks like he wants to say something to refute Jihoon’s fears, but somehow manages to compose himself.

 

“I don’t want to force you, God knows how that ended the previous time.”

 

Jihoon remembers. It wasn’t a fight more than a slight disagreement, but it was enough for Jihoon to know that what they had wouldn’t last. The previous December was a cold one, enough for Jisung to come into Jihoon’s room and beg him to work and try his best to bridge the gap between him and Daniel before their final concert.

 

He wishes they were living in an alternate reality where their love would be more accepted.

 

Where he could kiss Daniel without worrying that someone could burst in at any moment.

 

Daniel squeezes Jihoon’s shoulders gently, “Jihoon. Come back to me, don’t shut me out.”

 

“I’m really sorry, hyung.”

 

Daniel visibly panics, “No, don’t say sorry to me. Never say sorry to me. Say anything else, please.”

 

Because they’ve never really had a clean break; all they did was shut each other out and pretend like everything was okay, it comes crashing down like a waterfall in this one moment.

 

It suddenly seems real.

 

“Don’t leave me.”

 

It’s always surreal to Jihoon - how of all the people Daniel could have in this world, he chooses Jihoon. Of all the people that are willing to stay for Daniel, he’s here begging Jihoon not to leave.

 

Daniel smells good, albeit a bit sweaty from his performance, Jihoon misses how well he just fits into Daniel’s arms like a puzzle piece. He wishes he could stay in this moment forever.

 

His chest tightens, because he knows he will never have Daniel the way he wants.

 

When Daniel kisses him on the underside of his jaw, he shivers.

 

Because Daniel knows where he’s weak, and where exactly to touch him to make him succumb, Daniel’s afraid. It’s almost like taking drugs - you know it’s bad for you, but you’re way too past that to even give a fuck anymore.

 

It’s nice to know that Daniel still kisses Jihoon like he means it.

 

It’s nothing - incomparable to all the kiss scenes Jihoon has experienced in his life. When you add feelings into the mix, it becomes a whole mess of good and bad things.

 

Jihoon doesn’t even stop kissing Daniel when Daniel tucks his strong arms under Jihoon’s legs, lifting him up easily and settling him on the nearest dresser. When his back hits the mirror, it feels as if Daniel’s giving him the air to live and then taking it away from him at the same time.

 

His hands tangle into the mess of black hair on Daniel’s head, not even sane enough to care about how Daniel will handle the explanation later on.

 

Because Daniel’s hands on his waist are all Jihoon can think about.

 

“Stop it. _Niel_.”

 

He’s a dick. He’d started this, then told Daniel to stop.

 

“I miss you calling me that,” Daniel stops kissing him, but moves onto nuzzling his face into the crook of Jihoon’s neck, tickling him.

 

He wants to laugh, pet Daniel like everything’s okay but it’s not.

 

“Niel, it’s not going to work out. Not like this,” Jihoon swallows, every word getting harder to say. It’s hurting him, and most of all, hurting Daniel.

 

“The first time should have been enough of an indication,” Jihoon continues. “I don’t know what’s going to happen if we continue. It’s dangerous and there’s barely anything good that can come out of this.”

 

“You.”

 

Daniel’s eyes are determined, and his hands have never left Jihoon’s waist as if to assure the other boy that he’s here.

 

“You’re the only thing I need, the only one I’ve ever needed to be on my side,” Danie’s grip tightens. “Don’t tell me that’s not enough for you.”

 

If there were in a movie, maybe it’d be enough.

 

Not when everyone has their eyes on both Daniel and Jihoon, waiting to catch them at their worst and bring them down. It’s part and parcel of being a celebrity and Jihoon doesn’t know whether to curse or appreciate it.

 

Jihoon cups Daniel’s face in his hands.

 

Maybe he’s going to regret this. Maybe if he chooses to kiss Daniel again, things would be different.

 

He hopes he chooses the right thing.

 

⏪

 

_2018_

 

“Hello, how’s my favourite boy doing today?”

 

“Tired,” Jihoon replies without a thought to the boy standing at the doorway. He presses furiously on the buttons of his Nintendo Switch as if that will help him survive the inevitable.

 

The boy clad in a black hoodie walks in and picks up Jihoon’s schnauzer puppy from off the bed and cuddles it in his arms.

 

“I was clearly talking to Max,” Daniel giggles, cooing at the puppy who laps at his face immediately, already used to Daniel’s regular visits to his owner’s room.

 

“Asshole,” Jihoon snaps, tossing a pillow at Daniel’s face, which the other boy catches rather professionally as if he’d predicted it.

 

More than anything, Jihoon is glad his two puppies are getting along rather amiably now. When he’d first adopted Max, the smaller puppy of the two would not stop barking at his boyfriend.

 

It could be because of the amount of snacks Daniel has tried baiting Max with.

 

“After all, it is how I won your heart too, you know,” Daniel winks at Jihoon one day when he’d chided the other boy for making his puppy pudgier.

 

Not that Jihoon has an argument for that anyway.

 

He watches Daniel and Max play together for a moment, until Daniel realises Jihoon’s stare on the both of them.

 

“Your dad wants us to cuddle with him,” he whispers to Max loud enough for Jihoon to hear. “What do you think we should do?”

 

Max whines in reply, and Daniel of course has to take that as a green light for squishing the three of them onto Jihoon’s bed.

 

“ _Ow_ , seriously?” Jihoon feigns ignorance when Daniel squishes their bodies close together, leaving no room for either of them to breathe.

 

“Why, hate it?” Daniel asks in that teasing tone that Jihoon hates.

 

Of course, he doesn’t hate it. There’s nothing more Jihoon likes than feeling Daniel close to him, and knowing that he is safe when he is with Daniel.

 

“I’ve already told you that we can’t fit three people on this bed countless times,” Jihoon just sighs.

 

“Max is not a person!” Daniel argues back childishly, letting the puppy wriggle out of his arms.

 

They settle into a comfortable silence, the kind Jihoon likes a lot. Max falls asleep somewhere, and Daniel is drawing circles on Jihoon’s back, almost like a kind of magic that lures Jihoon to sleep.

 

When he memorizes the way Daniel’s chest rises and falls - he wonders what the future holds for them.

 

He’s so, so scared about what will happen to them a year from now.

 

Will they still be here, or will they be complete strangers who no longer have the time to catch up with each other anymore?

“I can hear you thinking,” Daniel’s voice rumbles in Jihoon’s ear. “What’s up?”

 

“Nothing,” Jihoon lies.

 

He knows Daniel knows he’s not telling the whole truth.

 

“Just thinking about us,” Jihoon whispers, too embarrassed to say it aloud even if it’s just Daniel in here with him.

 

“Me too,” Daniel confesses, stroking the crown of Jihoon’s head. “But don’t worry, alright? Nothing’s going to happen, we’re going to stay just like this.”

 

Jihoon tilts his head to look at Daniel who smiles back at him.

 

“And how do you know that?”

 

“ _Because_ ,” Daniel’s eyes sparkle with hope and certainty - almost so much that Jihoon trusts him without even a second thought. Daniel takes Jihoon’s hands in his own and kisses them softly.

 

“When the time comes, I know you’ll make the right decision for us.”

 

⏩

 

 

  * __2019__



 

 

“Keep in touch, okay, Niel hyung?”

 

Daniel just laughs emptily. It hurts to see his sunshine laughing without any meaning. His laugh is almost mocking now.

 

“You’re saying that like it’s going to be easy.”

 

He’s right. Between Jihoon’s inability to answer his messages and their more than painful history to recall, he wonders if he will even get to keep his promise.

 

Daniel turns away from Jihoon - the second time now. But it still hurts the same.

 

“I just have one last question-” Daniel’s breath hitches when he turns back to look at Jihoon. Jihoon wishes he wouldn’t do that, it’s going to be so much harder to let go after that.

 

“If you knew we were never going to last - why did you even stay?”

 

It’s such an easy question. Jihoon knows deep down that he and Daniel are no happy ever after, from the day Daniel had got down on his knees and asked Jihoon to be his boyfriend, to the way they had to sneak around their manager’s backs to go out for a date - it just wasn’t ideal, never meant to work out.

 

Their end was inevitable.

 

“Because every moment I spent with you made me doubt myself,” Jihoon chokes back his tears.

 

Daniel had come so close to breaking Jihoon’s beliefs that nothing could last forever. It was so easy to be with Daniel; for he had only given Jihoon happiness in his life. He had held on to the belief that maybe, _just maybe_ , they’d last.

 

Every moment was beautiful, it was nothing short of perfect.

 

Except it was _fleeting_ \- like the spring breeze and the chilling winter hail.

 

When a season ends, another one begins.

 

No season lasts forever, but Jihoon thinks that the cherry blossoms that Daniel has left behind to grow in his heart will be able to withstand the cold winter this December; just as it had the first winter in 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_not every story has to end with "the end"_

_for this one, i'd rather say_

_"thank you"_

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this thinking about wanna one more than nielwink themselves.
> 
> it really set me thinking (and although i have to admit that the reality of disbandment hasn't sunk in yet) about why we chose to start on a journey we knew would have an end. the journey was beautiful - and i think that's what makes it so painful to let go. my only consolation is to send them off with a smile, and know that another season with wanna one will start again.
> 
> deep thoughts aside, please leave comments on what you thought about this fic that i whipped up in 3 hours at 12am yesterday.
> 
> your feedback and reactions are always appreciated by me<3


End file.
